Impressions of Dublin

Even as I walked the streets of Dublin, I was wondering what I would write about on my blog. It’s easy to write about something you fall in love with like I did in Copenhagen. It swept me off my feet and I will definitely come back for more visits. It’s less easy to write about something you have mixed feelings about such as with Dublin. Don’t get me wrong, despite all the little complaints I have, it was still a trip I enjoyed very much. But I can’t see myself coming back for a visit to the city itself, despite the amazing bookshops and libraries it houses. On the other hand, Ireland and its landscapes still leave me curious to explore every corner of it.

But on to Dublin and the four days we spent there visiting Grégory’s friend. My first mistake was such a rookie one; not taking the most comfortable shoes I had and consequently suffering for the rest of the trip. In the end, I bought a random pair of sneakers because I couldn’t fathom wearing those shoes a day longer. Knowing how much walking we do through the city and in the museums, I should’ve thought this through a bit better.

In fact, through one of Grégory’s apps, we realized we did 46 kilometers of walking in three days only. But it was impossible not to explore everything since we had plenty of time. And there was a great deal of museums with free admission, including the National Gallery of Ireland and its Archaeology and Natural History Museums. Now, how could one resist that?

I highly recommend visiting the above-mentioned museums if you’re ever in Dublin, they’re even more interesting once you get in and explore all of their rooms. But my absolute favorites had to have been libraries and bookshops. We practically spent the whole morning at Books Upstairs, buying one too many books. Afterwards, we sat down to enjoy the lovely view from their café on the first floor. Books and hot chocolates with a view won me over.

The Library Bar

The one proper touristy place we visited was the Trinity College Library and trust me, you need to see it too! We visited it first thing in the morning in relative peace and left just as the crowds arrived. The ticket for it includes an exhibition on the Book of Kells and the library upstairs, both equally worth visiting. I must admit, it was hard to get me out of the library, despite the growing number of visitors. It was magnificent and I didn’t want to miss seeing and photographing a single bookshelf in the library.

The last place that stole my heart with its dusty old leather-bound books was Marsh’s Library. It had the same effect on Grégory because they had a temporary exhibition that included LEGO figurines. It was interesting to read about books that were stolen from the library and later either returned or replaced. A staggering amount of around 1800 books was stolen throughout only three centuries. Interestingly enough, this was the first public library in Ireland when it opened in 1707. Unfortunately, it is one of those places where you’re not allowed to take photos but I didn’t even mind it that much. We came back home with homemade bookmarks with our nicknames written on them in a specific Irish typeface.

What I meant when I mentioned complaints was the overall let-down when it comes to architecture. I didn’t even take a crazy amount of photos like I usually do. Don’t get me wrong, I fell in love with Dublin’s charming Georgian doors but that was about it. In fact, we joked how we probably set the bar too high by visiting Copenhagen but it’s true. We practically live in the forest but Copenhagen was the first city that made us consider the possibility of living in a city. And we definitely didn’t get that feeling in Dublin but I suppose that’s what traveling is all about. Any preconceived notions you have about a certain place mean nothing until you discover it for yourself and form your own opinion.

Overall, our conclusion from this trip was that we should maybe visit smaller cities for a while. Capitals, even if Dublin is not that big, tend to get overwhelming especially for us since that’s not our daily surrounding. Nevertheless, I’ll remember this trip as one filled with old books, colorful facades, libraries, ever-changing weather, and unique doors of Dublin. No holiday is ever a bad holiday if the right person is with you.